Storm Warning

Being one of the first of Lackey's books to pick up, I immediately became facinated by her explaination of life, religion, and society. This paticular novel started me on a quest to read the following books in the trilogy, which were not a disappointment. Her medium of fantasy certainly engages the reader to explore their own world in a different light, and to open up their minds to appreciate the differences in their own existence. I completely enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone with the slight interest in the fantasy genre.

Karse and Valdemar have long been enemies, each hating the other without ever really knowing anything about how each truly operates. Since Ancar of Hardorn's attempted invasions of each country, an uneasy alliance has been formed. Now Ancar is dead and his conquests along with him, but a new and more dangerous enemy has emerged: the mysterious and powerful Eastern Empire. Karse and Valdemar must decide what exactly their alliance entails.The Son of the Sun, Solaris, High Priestess of Karse, sends an envoy consisting of Ulrich, a black-robe priest, and his secretary, Karal, to Valdemar to negotiate the terms of the alliance. While the two countries work together to try to determine a way to defend against the Eastern Empire, a new and deadlier threat makes itself known, one so ancient and powerful that it may be impossible to stop..."Storm Warning" is the first book in Mercedes Lackey's Mage Storms Trilogy. I absolutely loved this book. It was a refreshing change after reading the Mage Winds Trilogy. The story seemed much more about the characters than about the events, which really gave it a more human feel. Similar to Mage Winds, it had alternating perspectives, which made me want to keep reading.The characters, as always, were wonderful to read about, particularly Karal. He is one of the most remarkable Lackey characters I have encountered yet (and this was my fifteenth Valdemar book). I absolutely loved him. He was an extremely compassionate, caring, sensitive individual, almost on the same level as Talia of the Arrows Trilogy. I was able to feel every step of his journey as if I were there with him. An'desha developed nicely, and I'm anxious to see what will become of him.It was also nice to see enemies that were entirely human as opposed to insanely fanatic mages bent on revenge. Charliss wasn't completely without honor, and Tremane was a decent human being who just happened to be born an Imperial.I also enjoyed learning the Karsite perspective. It was interesting to look at Valdemar through the eyes of its enemy and to see Karse painted as something other than barbaric.Bottom Line: An amazing story with a delightful lead character. A must-read for any Valdemar fan, but make sure you read Mage Winds first.

For years Valdemar and Karse were traditional enemies. The Karsites, under the rule of the Son of Sun, would send demons against Valdemar and tell their children the tale of the White Demons and their riders until the fear was ingrained - and with the fear came hatred, perpetuating war.Within a short span though, Valdemar and Karse went from being deadly enemies to allies, fighting together. The new Son of Sun in Karse reversed many of the teachings of the old regime. When the call came for discussion of permanent treaties between several countries, Karse was invited to Valdemar's capital. Ulrich, a priest and one of the new Son of Sun's strongest supporters, and his apprentice, Karal, were sent as envoy and secretary.Lackey offers a look into Valdemar that hasn't been seen before, by letting us observe it through the eyes of someone raised to hate and fear the very people he now has to work with. Karal, though more open-minded than others would be, still harbors fear from the tales that he'd been told as a child. His relationship with Ulrich offers the needed tempering viewpoint, being one of both mentor/student and father/son. The look into Karsite culture is an interesting one - for the first time, we're offered a glance into what had been a culture with little known about it.Karse is not the only new culture approached; Lackey also introduces us to Tremane, hopeful successor to the Iron Throne. His story is one of another touching character - a human leader who makes mistakes while trying to act in the best interest of his people. While this subplot seems disjointed from the rest of the story, the background information makes it much easier to understand what happens later on, as well as endears you to the characters. The book is difficult to put down once started; Lackey's skill with description and character development leaves you feeling like you know them as well as you know yourself.This is definitely a book I would choose to curl up with on a rainy day. Lackey's talent at showing how the characters think and why they feel what they feel makes them all the more believable. Though there's little action, the politicking is more than enough entertainment for me. I enjoy the chance to get into the characters' heads, discover what they're thinking, and try and figure out what their next move is based on the information. Once again, Lackey's given me another keeper.

This wonderful story of adventure and duty pulls you in with believable human, and not so human, characters. Admittedly a slow starter, once Karl (main man) reaches the palace things begin to pick up. Although it would be best to read the other books of Valdemar to better understand and fully appreicaite the other characters you see, this book is worth a look. Filled with magic, both in the story and in the writing, I find myself able to love the personalities within the pages almost more then the story itself. Not much on vauge villians, and you don't get any more abstract then a magical storm that started in the far distant past!, I had no trouble getting into this book and think that you should give it a try too.

Having already read the previous works, including the slightly disappointing Winds trilogy, I must admit that Mercedes Lackey has successfully drawn new inspiration, and created a series equal to her Arrows and Last Herald Mage trilogy. As you follow the adventures of Karal, a secretary to the Karsite envoy, you are granted a glimpse into the life of a Karsite as well as the troubles of adjusting in a foreign land. Also, we glimpse a quick look at the Eastern Empire, a mysterious empire in the far east that has been hinted about, but never before shown. On the whole, it is a wonderful and clearly well written work by a great author, and I couldn't put it down.